‘Really just trying to enjoy my cricket’ – Henry Nicholls after second-innings century to decimate England

New Zealand batter Henry Nicholls notched up his 11th Test century in the second innings of the second Test against England at the Oval. The southpaw remained unbeaten on 119 as the BlackCaps finished the third day in a dominant position with a score of 252 for 3, leading by 352. 

Nicholls made his last Test appearance in August 2025 but has been churning out the runs for Canterbury in the domestic game. He reached his century off 136 balls and put on a stand of 161 runs off 201 for the fourth wicket with Rachin Ravindra, piling further misery on the hosts.

“Being out of the team for a bit and playing domestically, [I’ve been] really just trying to enjoy my cricket. I certainly, in the last couple of years, feel like I’ve actually been playing my best cricket. For me as well, having played a significant number of Tests [58] knew what it takes at this level,” Nicholls told Sky Sports after the day’s play, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.

“I guess I had the confidence coming in here to believe in myself. I’ve done it before, but to come out here today and do it and contribute in this innings [is pleasing]. It’s obviously a great day personally, but from the team perspective, to bowl them out with the lead and then to be where we are now was exactly what we wanted at the start of the day,” he added.

Nicholls was the highest run scorer in the 2025-26 Plunket Shield. He scored 870 runs at an average of 96.66 from 11 innings with five half-centuries and three centuries as Canterbury lifted the title. He credited the domestic cricket and the team environment for enabling him to come into the team and perform immediately.

“You’ve seen over the last probably four or five years, every player that’s come into the group, they don’t look out of place and they’re really comfortable. It’s a credit to domestic cricket, but the Black Caps environment as well,” he said.

Nicholls came into the squad in the wake of the talismanic Kane Williamson announcing his retirement from all formats of the game. Promoted to number 3, he made an immediate impact, taking the fight to an inexperienced English bowling attack.

“I certainly knew when I was coming in for him, I wasn’t going to be able to replace him,” he explained. “He’s just such an incredible player, but I just really enjoyed being back in the team – and even in the first innings, enjoyed being back in Test-match cricket,” he added.

“In the second innings, I just wanted to try to replicate that, and you want to contribute, and you want to do all of these things. But it was just building a partnership with Rachin [Ravindra] and even Daz [Daryl Mitchell] at the end there.”

England were bowled out for 291, with Matt Henry finishing with figures of 5 for 80. Matt Fisher scored his maiden first-class half-century to reduce New Zealand’s lead to 100 runs, but with Nicholls’ innings, they are back firmly in the driver’s seat.